“I take my first step and then my second, and right before the door closes, I look once more over my shoulder. Caleb is still under the tree, he winks at me, and I smile.”

“It didn’t take me long to realize that Caleb was my empty planet.”

“Do I look like a commitment sort of girl to you?”“You look like trouble,” he grinned. “When I was growing up, my mother used to tell me to never trust a redhead.”I frowned. “There are only two reasons she’d say something like that.” Caleb raised his eyebrows. “And they are?”“Your father either slept with one, or she is one.”I buzzed under his crooked smile. It extended all the way to his eyes this time.“I like you,” he said.“That’s swell, Boy Scout. Real swell.”

“For once, I understood the Caleb mania. He was like a jalapeno, bright and smooth, but dangerously hot. A small part of me wanted to bit him.”

“My heart clenches. I still love this boy. The realization scares me. I thought I was over it. I thought I could handle something like this; an impromptu run in.”

“So then, it’s fair to say that you were thinking about me all week?” Now it was my turn to look shaken. Damn. Just when I had him.“No…and…. no, I will not go out withyou.” I leaned back in my chair and decided to look at the score board. Maybe, if I ignored him, he would leave. The Black Eyed Peas were playing loudly over the speakers. I tapped my foot to the rhythm.“Why not?” He seemed agitated. I liked it.“Because I am a llama and you are a bird and WE are not compatible.”

“In a sense I’m so far gone, I don‘t know what to say,” I begin. “I love you so much, and there are so many things that I didn’t get to tell you. I was so scared of the way that you loved me, Caleb.” I swipe at a tear that is leaking from my eye and continue.“You changed everything. I was so frightened of losing you that I did everything in my power to drive you away. I thought that if I didn’t, eventually you would see thatyou were wasting your time with me and leave anyway. I miss you. No, not just missyou, my heart aches every day because you’re not there. I am so sorry for what I did. All of it. Please, please don’t forget me, because the possibility of that hurts more than anything else.”